Gloves having reinforcements and impact features

Abstract

Gloves comprising a polymeric coating or layer, optionally including a fabric liner, and at least one reinforcement, disposed on a part(s) of the polymeric coating or layer and / or ac part(s) of the fabric liner, and methods of making the gloves are disclosed.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 15 / 245,394 filed Aug. 24, 2016, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Application No. 62 / 209,613, filed Aug. 25, 2015, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUNDField of the Invention[0002]Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to gloves and, more particularly, to unsupported gloves and supported gloves having an elastomeric, polymeric, or latex coating and reinforcement and / or impact features disposed thereon, and a method of making the gloves.Description of the Related Art[0003]Gloves are utilized in many fields for protecting workers, such as medical, industrial, household, and others. In service, gloves are subjected to extensive wear from cuts, punctures, and abrasions, creating a need for durability. Furthermore, other in-service requirements include enhanced impact resistance, grip-ability, and flexibility. Many gl...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent is about a type of glove that has a coating made of polymer and fabric. The coating can also have reinforcement added to it. The methods for making these gloves are also described. The technical effect of this invention is that it provides a more durable and comfortable glove that can withstand longer periods of use.

Problems solved by technology

Many gloves comprise fabrics and / or leathers as well as fabric / leather patches, which are bulky and expensive.

However, such gloves may not offer adequate strength in highly stressed areas.

Past attempts to impart reinforcements involved the use of thick features, such as a thicker liner or a thicker polymeric feature or polymeric coating disposed thereon, any of which decrease flexibility, which leads to the tiring of hands during use.

These unsupported gloves are weak, particularly in highly stressed areas, such as crotches between adjacent fingers and between the thumb and the forefinger.

Attempts to strengthen unsupported gloves consist of using different polymers, which are often less flexible and / or suffer from reduced grip properties.

Furthermore, some supported and unsupported gloves have a foamed polymeric coating on a non-foamed polymeric coating to impart flexibility.

Open-celled foamed coatings absorb moisture and oils better for enhanced grip, but are commensurately weaker, i.e., not abrasion resistant, leading to breaches during use and particularly during extended use.

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